Maryam Nawaz's selection as Punjab CM a 'milestone' in Pakistani politics: U.S.
The Hindu
“The selection of Maryam Nawaz as the Chief Minister of the Punjab province is a milestone in Pakistani politics,” the U.S. has said, asserting that it looks forward to cooperating with Islamabad on integrating women more fully into the country’s political life.
“The selection of Maryam Nawaz as the Chief Minister of the Punjab province is a milestone in Pakistani politics,” the U.S. has said, asserting that it looks forward to cooperating with Islamabad on integrating women more fully into the country’s political life.
Maryam, the 50-year-old daughter of three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, took oath as the first-ever woman Chief Minister of Pakistan's most populous and politically crucial Punjab province last week.
“Her [Maryam Nawaz Sharif] selection as Chief Minister is a milestone in Pakistani politics,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference on March 4.
Maryam is considered the political heir to 74-year-old Nawaz Sharif, the three-time former Prime Minister.
“We look forward to cooperating with Pakistan more broadly on integrating women more fully into the country’s political life, in the economy, including through the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council, civil society, and other decision-making spaces,” he said.
“An inclusive Pakistan makes for a strong, prosperous country which all Pakistanis benefit from, and so we are always pleased when we see cracks in the glass ceiling anywhere in the world,” Mr. Miller said in response to a question.
However, he refrained from commenting on the election of the new Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif.